[sohp-wurt, -wawrt] 
| a plant, Saponaria officinalis, of the pink family, whose leaves are used for cleansing. |
| bouncing Bet (bět) n. A perennial Eurasian herb (Saponaria officinalis) having dense clusters of pink to whitish flowers. Also called soapwort. [From Bet, nickname for Elizabeth.] |
| soap·wort (sōp'wûrt', -wôrt') n. See bouncing Bet. [From its yielding a soapy substance when the leaves are bruised.] |
soapwort
any of several plants of the genus Saponaria (about 40 species), in the pink family (Caryophyllaceae). While most are weedy, a few are cultivated, especially the trailing species S. ocymoides, with several varieties having pink to deep-red flower clusters. Bouncing Bet (S. officinalis), reaching to a height of 1 metre (3 feet), is widely naturalized in eastern North America. Its roots have been used medicinally, and its sap is a substitute for soap.
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